Lakes: government adviser on human rights beaten by security in house raid

April 2, 2014 (RUMBEK) – The recently appointed advisor for gender and human rights affairs in South Sudan’s Lakes state was severely beaten on Saturday after security agents raided her home as part of a weapons search.

Adak Costa Mapuor, advisor for gender and human rights affairs in South Sudan’s Lakes state, was badly beaten by security officers during a weapons search at her home (ST)

Adak Costa Mapuor, who has attracted harsh criticism due to her stance on human rights and gender affairs, was allegedly beaten after her bodyguard was disarmed.

According to eyewitness accounts, Mapuor was beaten with a gun after she questioned why her bodyguard was being disarmed without prior warning from the governor. Security officers also reportedly threatened to kill her bodyguard during the incident.

Mapuor was evacuated on Sunday to Western Bahr el Ghazal state for medical treatment.

A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that this search was not a routine weapons search, accusing the government of deliberately targeting Mapuor, who has been an outspoken critic of caretaker military governor Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol’s administration and its track record on human rights.

The relative said about 300 security officers had surrounded Mapuor’s home after reportedly being instructed to search for weapons in the area.

Lakes state’s minister for information, Marik Nanga Marik, said that no official disarmament campaign had been announced by the state government and allegations Mapuor was beaten are being thoroughly investigated.

Mapuor has held a number of high profile government positions since the signing of the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement in which the South seceded from the north, including state minister for physical infrastructure.

Traditional chiefs, students and activists have called on president Salva Kiir to remove Dhuol, who has proved unpopular due his harsh security measures. However, so far public demands have been overlooked.

Insecurity has been on the rise in Lakes state over the past week, with dozens of people killed in cattle raids and inter-clan clashes.

Police insist that young people and the wider public refuse to share information with them, blaming the poor relationship between the administration and the people of Lakes state.

Kiir appointed Dhuol about 14 months ago after removing his elected predecessor Chol Tong Mayay.

Under South Sudan’s constitution, an election should be held within 90 days should the president remove a governor. However, this has yet to occur in the country’s three states where governors were removed last year.

(ST)

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3 April 2014 05:43, by Akol Liai Mager

A country with an effective Parliament, all security organisations being army, police, or military’s intelligent are educated not to act like judges. The organised forces should be educated about how important to seek an arrest warrant, that accused is innocent until proven guilty. Even if someone is guilty, it’s the judge who will workout the appropriate penalties and how to enforce them.

Matur will finish you one by one if you don’t take proper care not interfere into his govt affairs. He is a purely military minded person who has no any single package of civil administratives aspects in his mind so if even if you know you have more relelant experiences than him and he has powers at his hand there is now way you can do whatever you like to him with those powers at his hands.

George Bol,What a Nuerphobic or Dr Macharphobia? You Dinka thugs always dreaming about Nuer! Nuer! Nuer! wherever you may gather whether social,political,or religious ceremonies u often gossiping,nattering, abusing and conspiracy against Nuer Community.But I assure you that Nuer warriors will continue challenge u till Jesus return whether u like it or not.We had fed up with your chronic hatred.

Dear
You are Sacrifice yourselves not freedom worrior or fighter’s mr food lover of Nuer..and we like to use the name of nuer nuer everywhere we meet either in the public place at home or anywhere we meet, because you are disapponiting us! you all food-lover?.

I blamed the current state of our country to people with mentality like Matur Chuol of Lake State. Why in the hell beating up an innocence woman ? busing of a power in our government in South Sudan is the root cause of our current crisis. Political disagreement is a healthy part of democracy and should never be taken like eye for eye. I am ashamed and appalled by the behavior of Matur Chol ...

George Bol,
Your comment is out of topic. The topic here is about Lake State. I greed with you that rebels of Riek have no end goal and they will starve themselves to death, but the current article is talking about Lake State and poor governance. Citizen of Lake State are disservices by this kind of behavior of lake state governor. I am fellow Dinka and truth must be told regardless of Tribe.

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